Tour de Fleece: At the starting line

I had hoped to have my spinning wheel’s bobbins all cleared before today, so I could start the 2010 Tour de Fleece* fresh, but apparently that was not to be.

I’ve still got a work in progress on the wheel, and I think I might just finish that up before I move on to what I had set aside for the Tour. As sad as that seems, though, on the one hand, I can’t be too distraught because it seems I may have accomplished one of my goals Tour goals in the past couple days. I think what I’m spinning now (not at the beginning of this single, but the last couple days) would make a lace weight two-ply! I plan to ply it with itself, from a center-pull ball, so this will skein will end up thicker than that, but I’m still thrilled. I’ve got some fat cores for empty bobbins so hopefully I can duplicate my thin success again on the next one — but right from the start. 🙂

Here’s what I’m working on now, what’s been holding me up

BFL I dyed at Yarn School, on the wheel now

in progress

what's left, still to spin

This is my first time spinning BFL, and I’m loving it!

I’m still confuzzled at how much longer it takes to spin up 4 ounces at a fingering or lace weight than to spin that same amount thicker. I know it makes sense, but it didn’t occur to me and I’m still trying to adjust my internal timetable.

Wanna see my line up?

Spunky Eclectic Pomegranate, Shetland combed top, club from January 2010

Batt with sparklies

Hopefully I’ll get more than this done, but I don’t want to add more stress to my life right now. Sure, I’m challenging myself — hey, spinning every day is new — but I don’t want to kill myself, you know? 😉 All the more reason to be cautious: I somehow can’t manage to grasp (or calculate) how long it’s taking me to get something spun these days.

*Tour de Fleece: a spin-along during the Tour de France. The concept is simple, They spin, we spin. A real spinning themed spin-along.